Ampex® ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder
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It's not a record until it's mastered on an Ampex® tape machine.
The UAD Ampex ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder plug-in and LUNA Extension provides the final “analog polish” to your music, turning your recordings into records. Fully authenticated by the Ampex Corporation and trusted by Platinum‑selling professionals the world over, the ATR‑102 plug‑in faithfully captures the unique dynamics, colorful frequency response, and tape saturation of this industry‑standard Ampex machine.
Add analog polish to your mixes with the most popular professional 2‑track tape machine ever made
Harness classic Ampex tape saturation, selectable tape types, and color to "glue" your mix together
Process your audio through the entire ATR‑102 circuit, including its transformers, amplifiers, Repro, Sync, and Input paths
Use the ATR‑102 LUNA Extension to produce rich, analog tape‑infused master recordings
Learn to Add Slapback Delay to Drums
Grammy-winning engineer Vance Powell (Jack White, Chris Stapleton) and the Ampex ATR‑102 Mastering Tape Recorder plug‑in.
The Most Popular Professional 2‑Track Ever Made
With its cohesive sound, punch, and ability to provide subtle‑to‑deep tape saturation and color, the ATR‑102 has remained a fixture in major recording and mastering studios worldwide since 1976.
The ATR‑102 Mastering Tape Recorder plug‑in and LUNA Extension faithfully replicates the unique dynamics, frequency response, and saturation characteristics of the original hardware. Scrutinized and fully authenticated by the Ampex Corporation, the sound of the UAD ATR‑102 plug-in is virtually indistinguishable from its analog ancestor.
Now Fully Integrated into LUNA Recording System
With LUNA Recording System, you can now use the Ampex ATR‑102 as a LUNA Extension, where it's built into the fabric of the mixer without the need to manage separate plug-in windows. This gives you rich, album‑ready Ampex tape tones on LUNA's master fader and buses — with all the authentic dynamics, frequency response, and saturation characteristics of the original machine.
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Authentic Calibration Controls and Tape Types
Like the ATR‑102 hardware, the plug-in allows you to choose between various Signal Paths (Input, Sync, Repro), different Tape Speeds / Emphasis EQs (NAB, CCIR, AES) and Tape Formula (GP9, 456, 900, 250) combinations — even including home/consumer tape. You can also use the adjustable Tape Delay feature for Automatic Double Tracking effects on vocals, guitars, and more.
Grammy-winning Presets
Get inspired with presets from longtime ATR‑102 users Chuck Ainlay (Chris Botti, Mark Knopfler) Richard Dodd (Wilco, Robert Plant), Buddy Miller (Martina McBride, Emmylou Harris), Mike Poole (Keith Urban, Dolly Parton) and more. Use these presets as a starting point and season to taste on your mixes — you'll marvel at the cohesive, rich sound that can only come from an Ampex tape machine.
“I set the UAD ATR-102 exactly the way my old Ampex machine is set up, dialed in the gains, switched back and forth… and the sound is nearly identical.”
– Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Norah Jones, Cold War Kids)
“The UAD Ampex ATR-102 is my new secret weapon in my master buss chain, giving me the secret ingredient for that extra touch of flavor.”
– Ivan Barias (Musiq Soulchild, Jill Scott, Estelle)
“The Ampex ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder and Studer® A800 Multichannel Tape Recorder emulations give a nice edge to bass tracks.”
– Armin Van Buuren
“The UAD Ampex ATR-102 tape emulation really captures the hardware’s punchy saturation and chunky warmth.”
– Mike Poole (Robert Plant, Martina McBride, Buddy Miller)
“I've always used limiters and compressors on the mix bus to ‘glue’ the sound together, but I've never been able to achieve the kind of musical cohesiveness like I can with the UAD ATR-102.”
– Ryan West (Eminem, Kid Cudi, Jay-Z)
“All of the songs on the Garbage record, Not Your Kind of People were mixed with the Studer A800 plug‑in on all the drum channels. We also used the Ampex ATR-102 plug-in on the final mix.”
– Billy Bush (Garbage, Dolly Parton, Paul McCartney)
“The UAD ATR‑102 brings mixes to life with a 3D sound that no other plug-in has ever been able to achieve.”
– Adam Hawkins (Twenty One Pilots, Switchfoot, Keith Urban)Watch The Reviews
5-Minute UAD Tips
Featuring the Magnetic Tape Bundle
Customer Reviews
A. Kittelsen
January 12, 2024
Analoge world
This plugin just sounds great, it gives me that organic sound reel tapemachines does, period
Read MoreJ. Kelly
January 10, 2024
Sizzle and Bake
love the control of the high end. drums drums drums!
Read Mored. drula
January 7, 2024
beat maker et mix
si comme moi vous aimer un son large, chaleureux, avec une saturation et compression naturel l 'ampex atr 102 fait le job.que ce soit en bout de chaine de mes mix et du mastering c'est la...
Read Moreg. mode
January 3, 2024
The Absolute best period
what more do I say its incredible I dont even like plugins like that but this is different
Read MoreD. Casas
December 30, 2023
ALWAYS ON MY MASTERING CHAIN
This is a MUST!!! If you've been waiting and putting off getting this tape, STOP! GET IT NOW! You won't regret it! Best mastering tape out!!!
Read More -
Features
Ampex-authenticated plug-in gives you the rich, cohesive tape sound of the the most popular professional 2-track machine ever made
Emulates the entire ATR-102 electronic path, including transformers, amplifiers, Repro, Sync, and Input paths
Multiple tape formulas, head configurations, and calibration levels for a variety of tones
Adjustable Wow, Flutter, Hiss, Hum, Crosstalk, and (L/R) Tape Delay controls, and more
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Customer Reviews
Ampex® ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder
A. Kittelsen
Analoge world
This plugin just sounds great, it gives me that organic sound reel tapemachines does, period
J. Kelly
Warm Summer Day
it takes me away!
J. Kelly
Sizzle and Bake
love the control of the high end. drums drums drums!
d. drula
beat maker et mix
si comme moi vous aimer un son large, chaleureux, avec une saturation et compression naturel
l 'ampex atr 102 fait le job.que ce soit en bout de chaine de mes mix et du mastering c'est la cerise sur le gateaug. mode
The Absolute best period
what more do I say its incredible I dont even like plugins like that but this is different
D. Casas
ALWAYS ON MY MASTERING CHAIN
This is a MUST!!! If you've been waiting and putting off getting this tape, STOP! GET IT NOW! You won't regret it! Best mastering tape out!!!
T. Simpson
Ampex® ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder
Absolutely the best. The analog warm will truly take your mixes and your masters to the next level. Thank you, UAD.
B. Lehaney
Must have
Lives on my master chain
R. Lajhó
Good mastering plugin
It has a special taste as you use it on your mastering chain. It has a color, it can be subtle or you can push it. I need to have more time with this plugin, but it will be essential for my work, that’s 100%!
J. Ruziev
Must have tape!
The best tape for mastering!
A. Dahlback
Smooth
I have never met the original, but both Studer and Otari in the analog era. I myself own a wonderful Revox G36 with its typical saturated warm compression. This is in the same class. Awesome.
F. WILMOUTH
Incredible sound on bus master
Ampex ATR-102 brings you an incredible touch for dreamy analog sound. A must have.
N. O'Donnell
Mix Magic Maker
The absolute best sounding mastering tape plug! Also a great slap delay maker….now if only UA made it Native all my problems would be solved?!
M. Roark
2-Bus awesomeness or lo-fi vibe on tracks
This plugin takes up some Sharc but it sounds great. The busted tape setting is so mangled and awesome. Jumping through the mastering settings as a jumping point for mixbus processing is fun. I will say though that on some settings, probably due to crossover, the mixes can sound a bit more condensed and less open. Overall though I love it. I'd say it works about half the time on the mixbus with little effort, and it's always cool as a stem or track mangler. That you can utilize variable EQ options really sets it above other tape plugins for me.
I have the Studer too, and more often reach for this. Tho tbf I reach for oxide the most bc it's least dsp heavy and simplest/fastest to use for tracks where I just want a tape saturation effect and not any mangling.S. Dejkalo
Bus or MasterTape?
Hi, in MasterTape and Bus are different presets.
Why? Is it better to make the plugin in Bus or in MasterTape? Thx from WarsawA. Sis
My go-to Mastering Tape Plugin
This is living on my Mastertrack. Great sounding and it’s giving that analogue feel I am heading for!
F. Hasan
MUST HAVE TAPE PLUGIN!!!!
you will not regret to buy it, ever!!!
I. Finney
Superb Tape Mastering & Tracking
Superb tape simulation and wonderful colouration for masters and tracking. This (and the Studer A800) both saturate in a completely natural analog way. The best tape plugins I've used.
J. Deschenes
Should have been the first
When I first got into purchasing plugins for my Apollo, I started with a couple verbs and a delay, API/Neve preamp, SSL bus compressor etc. I thought that I would eventually get around to a tape sim, but they were pricey for what I thought they did. When Oxide came out, I grabbed it in a sale and figured it would be good enough for tracking, and it was especially considering the low price. Fast forward to virus lockdowns when I had time to archive old multitrack recordings into digital from a loaned tape machine. I fell in love with the color, and warm compression that I had forgotten about. I promptly loaded up the ATR-102 demo, and swapped out the Oxide on all tracks of some recent material, and BAMMM! There it was. It was on sale. It should have been the first. It makes everything sound warmer, more harmonic. Lustrous. The oxide still has its place. I can crank it for more of an effect that is quite enjoyable.
S. Jackson
Must have plug-in for final touches on your track!!!
This plugin glues everything together so perfectly. I couldn’t imagine not using this on final mix from now on. This and the Studer A800 together is mind blowing.
